Two Colic Surgeries Later, Certainly A Blaze Wins Fourth Congress Horsemanship Title with Klay McDowall

By: Brittany Bevis

Klay McDowall and his 8-year-old gelding, Certainly A Blaze, achieved a milestone Monday night at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. The pair won their fourth career Congress Championship title in Horsemanship.

For those who’ve kept up with Klay and “Bruce” over the past few years, it might seem like winning a Horsemanship class is old hat. But, most people don’t know exactly what it took to get to this point.

“After we won Horsemanship in 2014 at the AQHA Youth World Show, and won at the Congress, we got back home and he colicked the first time,” Klay says. “He had to have surgery. After the first surgery, we spent about six months getting him back to where we could just ride him again. Then, it was about three months or so of riding, and he did it again. After having a second colic surgery, we had to get him back to normal again, and the next horse show we went to was the 2015 Youth World Show. We didn’t have the best time, but he was healthy and there. Then, we went to the Congress, and everything went pretty well, considering.”

After trying a host of special supplements and therapeutic concoctions to keep Bruce healthy, it was decided the best place for him would out in the pasture. It’s been the trick to keeping Bruce happy and healthy; although, it’s diminished his sleek, show coat somewhat…

“When he colicked the first time, we put him on all the supplements and tried everything to keep him healthy, but it didn’t work,” Klay says. “We turned him outside to see what happened, and it’s been working so far. We hoped for the best, and here we are!”

Klay and Bruce competed at the AQHA Youth World Show this year and ended up placing fourth in Horsemanship, even after battling a bit of soreness. “We weren’t able to practice much, and we scratched Trail to make sure he would be ok for Horsemanship. He’s only ever been sore twice in his life, both times at the Youth World, so that’s helpful. Then, the day we got him home, he was fine.”

“We practice so hard for the World Show, more than any other horse show. Sometimes, like any other athlete that would be training hard, he got sore toward the end of the event.”

Luckily, outdoor living seems to suit Bruce just fine. He and Klay were able to claim two Congress Championship titles at the show: one in NYATT Horsemanship and one in 15-18 Horsemanship. It’s the pair’s second time winning 15-18 Horsemanship at the Congress and their second time winning NYATT Horsemanship, the first was two years ago. That comes to a grand total of four Congress Champion titles in Horsemanship and one Youth World Championship. That’s quite a track record for a horse many people thought wasn’t going to amount to much.

Klay and Bruce have been a team for the past three years. “He was in need of an owner and a job,” Klay says. “He’s been around for a while. Rita Crundwell had him for a long time, and then he was sold in the dispersal sale. He wasn’t doing much, and I was in need of a horse. I didn’t even see him until he got to my house. He got off the trailer, and we went to work.”

Horsemanship is by far Klay’s favorite class because of the deep connection that’s required between horse and rider. “In Western Riding and Trail, those are good classes because they display how you have to put your horse in the right spots. But, if they don’t want to pick up their feet, they don’t have to. In Horsemanship, it’s more about whether you can get your horse through the pattern, regardless of anything else that’s going on. It’s a good way to display how much you’ve practiced and how well you know your horse.”

Bruce is certainly a unique horse with his slightly shaggy coat and bit of an “ugly duckling” persona, but for Klay, his trusty partner has the perfect temperament for his style of Horsemanship.

“He’s a little crazy!” Klay jokes. “Seriously, he just thinks a lot and likes to go fast and keep moving. He doesn’t like to stand still very much. He likes to have a job and have something to do. In Western Riding and Trail, you need to be flowy and pretty. In Horsemanship, we try to be as quick as possible. Personally, I try to ride the pattern really hard. He likes to think about what’s he’s doing. He likes a challenge.”

“That’s part of the reason why I like Horsemanship so much,” Klay says. “It’s really about what the rider can do. Your horse obviously has to participate; but, if they don’t have a great lead change, or they’re not the prettiest animal, or they don’t lope the best, it’s ok. It’s about how you can get your horse shown.”